Don Carlo plot
During the armistice of the war between Spain and France (1559), Don Carlo, son of Philip II, came to Fontainebleau to catch a glimpse of his bride-to-be, Elisabeth of Valois. He was married off to her by his father, but Don Carlos never met her himself. When Elisabeth gets lost in the woods and they meet, they fall in love. Philip II, Don Carlos' father, however, has changed his mind in the meantime: he wants to marry her himself. Don Carlo is deeply saddened that he will not marry Elisabeth. Don Carlos is in continuous struggle with the power of his father and the church to realize his love (Elisabeth) and his ideals (the liberation of the Netherlands).